The Politics of Social Classification in Late Medieval England

Cordelia Beattie

Reveals how moral and economic concerns influenced the way in which medieval women were seen

Medieval Single Women

The Politics of Social Classification in Late Medieval England

Cordelia Beattie

Description

The single woman is a troubling and disruptive category. Does it denote all unmarried women, therefore creating a group which every female was part of at some stage in her life? Or, were the categories "maiden" and "widow" so culturally significant in late medieval England that "single woman" was a residual category for women seen as anomalous? Was the category "single man" used in an equivalent way and, if not, why? This study offers a way into the complex process of social classification in late medieval England.

All societies use classifications in order to understand and impose order. In this book, Cordelia Beattie views classification as a political act, an act of power: those classifying must make choices about which divisions are most important or about who falls into which category, and such choices have repercussions. Defining how a group or an individual should be labelled, means variables such as social status, gender, or age, are prioritized. Rather than isolate gender as a variable, this book examines how it relates to other social cleavages. Using a variety of approaches, from social and cultural history, to gender history, and medieval studies, its original methodology offers an innovative approach to a range of historical texts, from pastoral manuals to tax returns, and guild registers.

Medieval Single Women

The Politics of Social Classification in Late Medieval England

Cordelia Beattie

Table of Contents

Introduction Medieval classification schemesSingle woman as a category of difference1. Classification in Cultural ContextClean maids, true wives, and steadfast widowsFemmes solesMarriage, social change, and the politics of classification2. The Single Woman in a Penitential DiscoursePenitential discourse, women, and sexual sinFourteen degrees of active lecherySeven states of chastity3. The Single Woman in a Fiscal DiscourseThe schedule for the 1379 tax and the classification processThe Bishop's Lynn poll tax return of 1379Widows, daughters, and workThinking with single women4. The Single Woman in Guild TextsSingle sisters and the guild returns of 1388-9Maidens and single men: the register of the guild of the Holy Cross, Stratford-upon-Avon (1406-1535)5. 'Singlewoman' as a Personal DesignationEarly examples of 'singlewoman'York's civic records c.1475-c.1540From the medieval to the early modernConclusion: Cultural Intersections

Medieval Single Women

The Politics of Social Classification in Late Medieval England

Cordelia Beattie

Reviews and Awards

"Beattie's book provides a vital starting point for discussion and should be applauded for its resourcefulness and creativity."--Sara M. Butler, Speculum

"This book is well worth reading for its many insights into the complex and multifaceted set of cultural values surrounding single women. The writing is clear and direct and the scholarship on which the book rests is thorough and well substantiated. Readers with a special interest in medieval society or late medieval England will find much of interest in Beattie's analysis, and the book demonstrates that much can be known about the lives of medieval single women and also suggests that much more still remains to be learned."--James Masschaele, American Historical Review